Minister for Health Care raised important health care issues for the EU at World Health Assembly

The theme of this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was the World Health Organization (WHO) at 75 and the work it does. Representing the EU and its Member States, Swedish Minister for Health Care Acko Ankarberg Johansson took part on the first two days (21–22 May).

This year’s World Health Assembly is being held in Geneva, Switzerland, on 21–30 May. Ms Ankarberg Johansson was invited, as the representative of the EU and the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, to deliver the EU Statement on Monday morning. In her speech, she stressed the progress being made in the area of health but also the global challenges being faced in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ms Ankarberg Johansson also highlighted the need for global cooperation, solidarity and action to tackle the problems we face and the EU’s important work to establish a pandemic treaty:

“WHO has a central role to play to deliver on the SDGs, to provide leadership, knowledge, advice, and technical support to all countries. It is crucial to foster inclusive collaboration between international actors and to counteract fragmentation across the global health architecture also beyond the emergency agenda, leaving no region of the world behind.”

Acko Ankarberg Johansson
Swedish Minister for Health Care

The World Health Assembly has a wide-ranging agenda covering some 70 items. In addition to participating in the programme, Ms Ankarberg Johansson held bilateral meetings with Kazakhstan’s Minister of Healthcare, Azhar Giniyat, Singapore’s Minister for Health, Ong Ye Kung, and WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Ms Ankarberg Johansson also took part in a number of smaller meetings at which issues such as a future pandemic treaty, antimicrobial resistance and the health situation in Ukraine were discussed.